Today's Photo
Story kicks off local efforts to curtail community pesticide spray
programs pictured here and encourage prevention strategies to minimize
mosquito-breeding areas. Mosquito spray programs have escalated in the
last two years after West Nile virus was discovered to infect the mosquitoes
in New York City. Health officials are concerned that infected mosquitoes
will transmit the disease to humans. However, spray programs have been
criticized as being a cure worst than the disease and city and towns
pest management programs have been identified as spray oriented rather
than prevention oriented.

Communities have
used neurotoxic and potentially cancer-causing pesticides, including
organophosphates like malathion and synthetic pyrethroids like permethrin.
Spraying often occurs for adult mosquitoes with little chance of hitting
the target pest, but causing widespread human inhalation and dermal
exposure. Spraying frequently occurs, as pictured in this Photo Story,
at times of the day when mosquitoes are dormant, without adequate precautions
taken to protect sprayers or passersby. Officials often advise people
to use repellants with N, N diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET), despite its
serious neurotoxic properties and studies that show it has synergistic
effects when its exposure is mixed with other pesticides like permethrin
(See Dangerous Chemical Combinations
Used to Prevent West Nile Virus). Public education programs
aimed at eliminating standing bodies of water around homes, which serve
as breeding areas, are limited and ineffective. Efforts to use biological
larvicides are also often limited or nonexistent.

Beyond Pesticides
is launching an effort to assist local policy makers and public health
officials to adopt policies and practices that are protective of public
health. Posted here is a draft policy and program document for public
review and comment. It is being developed by public health people, who
have experience in mosquito management, and citizen organizations that
want protection for families and children.

Please send your
comments on this document (with the subject line: mosquitoes) by email
to [email protected].
We will try to incorporate them in the document as it grows to include
new ideas and strategies. For more information on mosquito management
and West Nile virus, visit Beyond Pesticides' mosquito
webpage.